Laupen Castle

The Laupen Castle is a castle in the municipality Laupen in the Swiss canton of Bern. As a landscape dominant landmark at the confluence of the Sense and Sarine the medieval fortifications from the 12th century is an architectural monument of national importance. Today it houses only the government governorship Laupen. Since this was in the government governorship Bern -Mittelland transferred from 1 January 2010 ( with headquarters in Bern ) is uncertain what the future use of the castle will look like.

History

Middle Ages

The Laupen castle owes its existence to the favorable situation to happen Sense and Sarine and protect this transition. The mentioned in the 12th century the Counts of Laupen came under the influence of Zaehringen, after their extinction in 1218 Laupen is an imperial castle.

In the 13th century the castle 's pawn on the border between the contending for hegemony Counts of Kyburg and Habsburg on the one hand, the Counts of Savoy on the other hand, and sees numerous violent and nonviolent hand changes. 1295 and 1309/10 visited the German king of the castle, but she pledged. 1324 Bern solves that emerges now as the winner from the hassle of the high nobility, this pledge and built here his first bailiwick. For nearly 700 years, the castle is the seat of the Bernese district administration.

This Berns reaching out into the landscape, in the Aare-/Saaneraum, his first documented here, yet the nobility rightful role as a rule Mr. bolt should be placed: in a local war decided a powerful alliance of hochburgundischem, Savoyard and Habsburg nobility and the city of Freiburg im Fribourg, wipe Bern and besieged in 1339 as the first town and fortress Laupen: the fortress withstood twelve days the incessant onslaught of a far -powerful army, until a Canton Bern army with intra- Swiss support was ready and the assembled nobility struck devastatingly above Laupen.

Laupen was the most dangerous, life-threatening situation in Berns history. Nothing speaks more clearly than Laupen Castle of this epoch-making for the further development of the Bern statesman event: without lock Laupen no canton Bern.

Recent History

Over the past decades up to the present time the Laupen castle served various purposes, which partly can be seen on the interior today: In the second floor of the main building there is the courtroom of the court Bern- Laupen the former to the merger district Court Laupen served. In the northeastern wing are empty prison cells. The castle also included earlier ( still partly until 2009 ), the Land Registry and the Debt Enforcement and Bankruptcy Office of the District Laupen.

Architectural and art history

Laupen is an exposed medieval fortifications on a rocky outcrop, the strength to terrain changes, the moat as the main disconnect adjoining mountain, and on attachment, namely the main tower and elliptical massive curtain wall ( 2.5-3 m thick, 10-12 m high) was based. Of these important parts are preserved as magnificent Boss ashlar masonry in the old height. Thus, south, west and north sides largely intact, while the tower and the east side only exist as a base.

Main dominant and most valuable part of the plant is attached to the ring wall Palas, whose three ogival double windows illuminate the powerful Knights Hall. This is one of the best preserved castle halls of Switzerland, built around 1315, with an intact chimney system, powerful beams and exposed brickwork. In the former residential floor under a huge hipped roof of 1395. In the courtyard are available with different nicks and battlements types old military equipment to read. West Terrace, Rondenweg and east bastion offer promising perspectives; the courtyard is a commonly been studied impressive closed space.

The 1648/50 established as landvögtliches Office and residential building New Castle is a late Gothic structure with side stair tower with curly hood. Important Features of this period ( ceilings, wooden paneling) and from the 18th century have been preserved. Never touched parts of the Romanesque donjon exterior wall in the cafeteria belong to the singular components in the Swiss landscape monuments. Built in the 17th century, very distinctive -emergent cage tower on the western edge replaced a previous building.